Homecoming (6 page)

Jack laughed. He knelt and hugged the squirming dogs, trying to avoid two wet tongues. He looked up at her, his arms full of dog. “Sorry about that. Lil’s raised them, and she’s not too good about discipline.”

Federica watched him wrestle with the dogs, then was distracted by a litter of kittens emerging from under the door stoop. They were red tabbies and she smiled as they tumbled over each other, scuffling and trying to bite each other with tiny white milk teeth.

Jack finally got the two German shepherds back in the kennel and took her elbow. As they walked toward the house, the mother tabby yawned and watched them out of slitted, contented eyes.

Jack pointed to the goat. “That’s Norman’s. He says it beats mowing the lawn.”

“I can see that people in Carson’s Bluff believe in conservation of energy,” Federica replied.

“Jack!” a voice shouted from behind the house. “We’re in the backyard.”

As they walked around the little cottage, Federica saw a potter’s kiln. Set in ledges built into the wall of the kiln were vases, plates and pitchers. Gorgeous shapes, gorgeous colors. The smell of honeysuckle and jasmine almost overwhelmed her.

“Hey,” Lilly said, coming toward them. She hugged Federica. “Glad you could make it.”

“I’m glad, too,” Federica said sincerely. The backyard was bigger than the front garden. It sloped down to a river, and was flanked by flowerbeds and two weeping willows. A big brick barbecue held glowing embers.

A tall blond man stood up, as did another man…

“Newton!” Federica cried, and rushed into the big man’s arms. Federica hugged him tightly, then pulled away. “Oh, Newton.” How could she have forgotten about him? She had been so wrapped in herself up at the Folly… She swiped at a tear. “I’m sorry. God, I forgot all about you—”

“No problem, Miss Federica.” Newton smiled down at her and rubbed a hand over his big belly. “Stella’s been taking care of me.”

“Oh, Newton. I just didn’t think, I’ve been sleeping and sleeping—have you been staying at Stella’s? But I didn’t bring sheets for you.”

“Sheets?” Newton sounded confused. “Stella has everything. What do you mean, sheets?”

Federica turned toward Jack, looking at him through narrowed eyes, but he was petting the big tabby, which had followed them into the backyard. Feeling Federica’s gaze, he raised innocent eyes.

“Never mind, Newton,” Federica said. “I’m so glad you’re still here.”

“I’m here as long as you are, Miss Federica,” Newton said gently.

Federica hugged him tightly again, then let go. Somehow Newton was always there. He had always been there. He had been there when Federica had come back from Europe, a frightened eighteen-year-old. He had been there when she had graduated from business school, the only one to celebrate her graduation, bearing a congratulatory telegram from Uncle Frederick. He had been there when Russell—

“Federica, meet my brother Wyatt,” Lilly said, tugging on the arm of a tall, handsome blond man.

“He of the marvelous beer,” Federica grinned.

“Me of the marvelous beer,” Wyatt agreed, sticking out a hand.

Federica took it. Wyatt Sutter was incredibly good-looking. He resembled Lilly and Jack both, but where Lilly’s looks were soft and feminine, and Jack looked hard and masculine, Wyatt just looked good. And kind. He shared that with his sister and brother. All three looked kind-hearted.

“Wyatt. Nice to meet you.”

“Same here,” he replied. “We’ve all been curious about the recluse up at Harry’s Folly. I just knew you’d come down some day.”

Federica knew why she was there, and so did everyone else. It should have made for an embarrassing situation, but somehow it didn’t. Everyone was genuinely welcoming. Federica could tell, because she had never felt that warmth before.

Usually, a visit from a Mansion heralded trouble, and she was used to a wary, defensive posture from the people she encountered.

“Even recluses come down from the mountain,” she replied. “Recluses have surprises.”

“Hey, surprises I like.”

They both laughed.

Lilly threw some steaks on the embers and the smell rose sharp and pungent on the evening air. Through an open window, Federica could hear the familiar sound of someone pounding on a computer keyboard.

Jack put a glass in her hand and opened a bottle. “Let’s celebrate your emergence from hermithood.”

The glass was a stoneware sculpture of a hand holding a glass. Her own flesh-and-blood hand fit perfectly around the ceramic one. She laughed aloud in delight. “Lilly, you’re a genius.”

Jack poured some Pigswill into her glass, so quickly it foamed over. Federica licked some off the rim. “Do you sell your stuff?” Federica asked Lilly.

“Yes. There’s a gallery in Sacramento that sells my sculptures. And an upscale boutique in Fresco that sells my house wares. The funny thing is, I’ve discovered that the less I produce, the more I can ask for my work.”

“Supply and demand,” Federica intoned solemnly, raising her glass. “I propose a toast to the market economy.”

“Hear, hear,” Jack said, and drained his glass.

The sound of tapping continued to drift out the window.

“Uh, oh,” Lilly said, consulting her wristwatch. “It’s time.”

“Time?” Federica asked. “Time for what?”

“For Norman to quit working,” Jack explained. “He’s been at it a couple of hours now. Lilly rations his computer time. Otherwise, he’d never stop.”

“Norman!” Lilly shouted. “Quitting time.”

The tapping increased in tempo. Lilly sighed.

“Sorry, Lil,” Wyatt said gently. “You know what he’s like. You’re going to have to go in and drag him out.”

Lilly rolled her eyes and got up. Something about the way she moved attracted Federica’s attention. She tugged on Jack’s sleeve as she watched Lilly go in the kitchen door.

“Jack, is Lilly, uh, is she—”

“Yes, she’s expecting,” he said, as his eyes rested fondly on his sister disappearing through the door. “About time another Sutter came into the world. There are only five of us.”

“Five?” Federica asked. “You, Wyatt, Lilly and—”

“And my folks.”

“Your parents are alive?” Federica asked softly. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Well, yes, though I’m not too sure about Dad—”

“Our parents are alive,” Wyatt interrupted, shooting an exasperated glance at Jack. “It’s just that our father is a very relaxed man. It confuses people. Even Jack.”

“Well, when we go fishing, he doesn’t really respond when the fish bite,” Jack pointed out reasonably, then looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Where are your folks?” he asked.

“Dead,” Federica replied. “A long time ago.”

“Brothers and sisters?”

“None,” she replied.

“Don’t you have any family at all?”

“Well,” Federica said slowly, “there’s Uncle Frederick.”

Newton choked on his beer. He wheezed and brought a hand to his throat. Jack slapped him on the back.

“Uncle Frederick was very good to me,” she said reprovingly to Newton. “After all, he paid for my education.”

Newton was silent a moment, considering, then took a long drink. “What the hell,” he said into his glass. “Might as well have my say. He might have paid for your education, honey,” he said gently, raising his eyes to Federica, “but he’s never let you forget it for one single second. And you’ve been working like a dog for him for the past eight years.”

The back door opened, and Lilly led a bewildered-looking man out by the hand. He was of middling height, balding and with a fuzzy blond beard.

“Come on, Norman,” Lilly coaxed. “It’s all right.”

“But Lil,” he protested. “I haven’t finished yet. I’ve got one more spreadsheet. Just one, Lil, I promise, and then I’ll stop. Just let me—”

“No,” she replied firmly. “Your time is up and you know it.”

She sat him on the bench and looked at him sternly. “That’s it. You’re done for the day now, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Lil,” the man replied obediently, “of course.” But his eyes strayed with longing toward the door.

“Norman’s a recovering workaholic,” Lilly explained to Federica, as she grabbed the big barbecue fork. “We’ve come a long way. We’re taking it one day at a time.”

Norman’s eyes were still glazed.

“Here,” Wyatt said kindly, and pushed a bottle toward Norman. “Have a beer. Maybe it’ll help.”

Norman took the bottle blindly and took a long pull. But when he put the bottle down, his eyes were still glued on the back door.

Lilly laughed and took his hand. She placed it on her belly and Norman lost that glazed look. He fondled her stomach and they exchanged a loving glance.

Lucky Lilly
, Federica found herself thinking in spite of herself.
Lucky, lucky Lilly. A husband, two brothers who adore her. Parents. A child. A rose-filled cottage. A job she does well and loves.

Stop it,
she told herself sternly.
Envy is nasty. It doesn’t become you. You have so much more than she does.

Federica thought of her life. Lilly’s cottage was charming, but small. Federica had an enormous condo on Nob Hill, owned by Mansion Enterprises and leased to her on privileged terms. She didn’t even know what to do with all the space she had. She traveled the world. She was an executive, with great authority and responsibility in one of the world’s most important hotel chains. The hotel chain bore her name.

And…and she hadn’t seen her apartment in six weeks. She hadn’t seen a friendly, familiar face in the same time. She had no friends at all, come to think of it, except for Ellen, who led the same life she did. She had no family of her own. And the way she was going, she never would.

That’s enough
. It was pointless getting maudlin. She was here for a purpose. The fact that the purpose was to earn her uncle even more money than he already had didn’t make her feel any better. She wasn’t here to mull over her empty life, she was here to—

A bell rang distantly.

“Federica?” Lilly was wrestling with a recalcitrant steak. “Would you do me a favor?”

“Sure, Lilly,” Federica smiled.

“That was the oven. The potato casserole is cooked. Would you bring it out here? The pot holders are hanging inside the door next to the oven.”

Federica walked to the kitchen door.

Jack’s eyes followed her every step of the way.

“Hey, bro,” Wyatt grinned, and gave a whoop once Federica had disappeared. “She’s pretty rich for your blood, isn’t she?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jack began huffily.

Then they heard the scream.

Chapter Four

Federica’s scream was still echoing in her ears when Jack burst into the kitchen, eyes narrowed.

“Something slithered by me!” Federica took a shaky breath and pointed vaguely in the direction of the little living room visible through an archway. “Something big and…and furry. Like a
rat
, only bigger!”

Wyatt and Norman stood framed in the kitchen door. Lilly’s head peeped over their shoulders. A worried-looking Newton appeared, and Lilly put a reassuring hand on his massive arm.

“Poor little thing,” Jack crooned softly. He started forward and Federica half-turned to him in gratitude, only to watch him move past her.

“He’s scared, poor sweetheart.” Wyatt’s voice, too, was low and soft.

“No—no, really. It’s okay.” Federica lifted a hand to her still thundering heart. “It’s just that—” She stopped.

He? He’s scared?

Jack went into a half-crouch, hand extended, making cooing noises, closely followed by Wyatt and Norman. Lilly leaned against a counter, arms crossed over the slight swell of her stomach, and watched her men with a half-smile on her face.

Curious, Federica peered into the living room. For a moment she was distracted by the riot of colors. Each wall was painted a slightly different shade of turquoise, the cornice and ceiling a pale shell-pink. Two ’fifties couches, reupholstered in a cheery daisy yellow, were strewn with throw pillows in every color of the rainbow. A royal blue bookcase filled with paperbacks covered one wall.

A sage green dresser held a cornucopia of pottery in bright, swirling colors—pitchers in the shape of lemons, a dark-green platter shaped like a fig leaf, a duck teapot with a bill for a spout… Federica was entranced.

She thought of her own of living room, a vast expanse big enough to grow corn in. It was larger than Lilly’s entire house and decorated expensively and anonymously in every hue of beige by the same woman who designed the hotel rooms for the Mansion Enterprises West Coast hotels. The only thing her living room had in common with Lilly’s was four walls and a ceiling.

There it was again!
Out of the corner of one eye, Federica caught a dark brown blur and watched, astonished, as Jack slowly straightened with a fur collar around his neck. The collar twitched and two black button eyes glared at Federica. Jack and Wyatt were petting it and Norman fed it pieces of meat he had snagged off the kitchen counter.